


name one hero who was happy

by Melethh



Series: Wonder Woman one-shots [1]
Category: DCU, DCU (Comics), Justice League & Justice League Unlimited (Cartoons), Wonder Woman (2009), Wonder Woman (Comics), Wonder Woman - All Media Types
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Friendship, Inspired by The Song of Achilles, Mythology References, right after the Justice League episode 'Paradise Lost'
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-30
Updated: 2019-03-30
Packaged: 2019-12-26 13:03:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,537
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18282881
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Melethh/pseuds/Melethh
Summary: “But...I want to help..”Alexa sighed and looped her arm around the princess. “Your mother also realizes that heroes are rarely happy. We may have covered their adventures, but I know you have not forgotten their fates. She does not wish such tragedy for you.”“I changed my mind,” Diana stated, causing Alexa’s face to light up with surprise. “I’m not going to be like Herakles or Jason or Achilles.”“Oh?” Alexa inquired. “Then who shall you be?”“Princess Diana of Themyscira, the first hero who was happy!”





	name one hero who was happy

**Author's Note:**

> JUST SO YOU KNOW this takes place right when Hippolyta exiles Diana from Themyscira at the end of the Justice League episode "Paradise Lost" 
> 
> I was in my Diana feels and I wanted to write something related to Song of Achilles but I am putting off the big Achilles&Patroclus/WonderTrev parallel fic. So I figured it would be fun to work the theme of unhappy heroes with Diana at the end of Paradise Lost. Also, I included Wonder Woman (2009) in the tagging because I included the character of Alexa

_ “Name one hero who was happy." _

_  
I considered. Heracles went mad and killed his family; Theseus lost his bride and father; Jason's children and new wife were murdered by his old; Bellerophon killed the Chimera but was crippled by the fall from Pegasus' back. _

_  
"You can't." He was sitting up now, leaning forward. _

_  
"I can't." _

_  
"I know. They never let you be famous AND happy." He lifted an eyebrow. "I'll tell you a secret." _

_  
"Tell me." I loved it when he was like this. _

_  
"I'm going to be the first." _

\- Madeline Miller, The Song of Achilles

* * *

 

_ ‘Don’t turn around. Don’t turn around.’  _

 

That was the single thought echoing in Diana’s head as she walked further and further from her home. Each step she took was another that exiled her from her sisters’ bond and her mother’s love. She considered giving in and taking one last glance as she grasped the hanger of the javelin. However, she kept her eyes trained forward, knowing that if she turned around and saw the magnificent beauty of Themyscira framed in the golden sunset, she would not be able to leave. She would throw herself at Hippolyta’s feet and beg for her mother to reconsider. That simply would not do. 

 

She was Princess Diana of Themyscira and she would be exiled with what little dignity she could hold onto. 

 

She felt J’onn’s hand on her shoulder and his attempt at comforting her. No doubt he saw her hesitation as she took a single step on the platform. She could not show her weakness, not now. Her teammates had already fought so hard. She could not burden them further. 

 

“Let’s go.” She said, coldly, before boarding the javelin. 

 

Before anyone else could try and comfort her, she hurried back to the cabin and hoped she wouldn’t be bothered. Thankfully, the others let her have some time alone as she sat on a bunk and contemplated the finality of her mother’s ruling. She leaned against the wall with her knees drawn up as a new mantra raced through her mind. 

 

_ ‘Don’t cry. Don’t cry. Don’t cry.’ _

 

She had always known this was a possibility when she left the first time. She had stolen her armor and ran away. Hippolyta’s wrath was something she had been anticipating long before she arrived and found the damage wrought by Faust. 

 

However, exile was her reality. There was no hope of returning for reconciliation as before. Now she had broken a sacred law and was subject to justice. As someone whose duty was to uphold justice, she could not expect to be given special treatment. 

 

As a girl, she expressed her desire to be like the heroes in her mother’s stories. No, Diana wanted to be better than those heroes. Diana had been confident she would not fall victim to her hubris, but that likely had been her downfall from the start. 

 

~~

 

_ Hippolyta smiled fondly as walked into the library to find Diana with a sparring sword pointed at Alexa, who was feigning defeat on her bench. She watched as Diana pretended to be a hero of legend slaying a monster. Alexa allowed the sparring sword to slip under her arm and Diana gave a cry of victory.  _

 

_ The queen entered the room causing Diana to blush as she realized her mother had witnessed her game of pretending. Alexa seemed unaffected as she smiled at her queen and proceeded to show her what she and Diana had covered in her studies that day before their break.  _

 

_ “And have you enjoyed Alexa’s stories?” Hippolyta asked.  _

 

_ Diana nodded eagerly. “I want to be a hero like Herakles! Or Jason! Or Achilles!”  _

 

_ Hippolyta’s smiled drastically dropped. She struggled to regain her lost composure, but Diana’s comparisons had struck her. One hero had been struck with madness and became the death of his family. One hero’s foolishness had lost him his children. The last hero’s destiny had been a glorious death, but not before he suffered greatly at the loss of his beloved. The life had burned out from Achilles’ eyes with Patroclus’ pyre.  _

 

_ She could not bear such a fate for her daughter.  _

 

_ “Diana, I understand your thirst for adventures, but there is no need to seek danger,” Hippolyta said, untying the curtain her daughter had fastened as a cape. “You are safe here.” _

 

_ “Yes, mother.” Diana sighed, plopping down beside Alexa. Hippolyta nodded and caressed Diana’s cheek gently before leaving the library so Alexa could finish her lesson. “She doesn’t understand.” Diana groaned, falling back on the bench. “Mother got to fight. Why can’t I?”  _

 

_ “Your mother’s duty was to defend her people.” Alexa corrected. “Hippolyta may be a great warrior, but she has no love for war. If you are to be queen one day then you must understand that a wise ruler will not seek needless conflict.”  _

 

_ “But...I want to help..”  _

 

_ Alexa sighed and looped her arm around the princess. “Your mother also realizes that heroes are rarely happy. We may have covered their adventures, but I know you have not forgotten their fates. She does not wish such tragedy for you.”  _

 

_ “I changed my mind,” Diana stated, causing Alexa’s face to light up with surprise. “I’m not going to be like Herakles or Jason or Achilles.”  _

 

_ “Oh?” Alexa inquired. “Then who shall you be?”  _

 

_ “Princess Diana of Themyscira, the first hero who was happy!”  _

~~

 

It was the dreams of a naive child. Diana knew now this was just the first in a long line of grief that awaited her. Her mother had been right.

 

She heard the door open and did not look up. Superman would likely tell her he understood what she felt, but she knew it was entirely different. Superman had lost a home he had never known. She recognized the suffering he had dealt with as an outsider on Earth, but he only knew Krypton through stories. She adored Flash, but she did not know if she could handle his forced optimism right now. However, she would never forget that he and Clark stood up for her. 

 

Batman would likely be Batman, not exactly the comforting type. That left..

 

“Diana.” 

 

Once more she heard J’onn’s voice echo through the cabin. She did not reply. She was too afraid of her voice cracking and revealing her weakness. 

 

“I just wanted to see if you were okay.” He explained. 

 

She swallowed down her tears and forced a weak smile. “I’m fine, J’onn. Just need some sleep.” 

 

“Diana, you’re not fine.” J’onn stated. “You just lost your home.” 

 

“Thanks for the reminder..” 

 

J’onn sat down beside her and for a moment they sat in silence. Diana knew that if there was anyone she could confide in it was J’onn. He understood, more than she knew. J’onn hadn’t just lost his home. His entire race was wiped out along with everyone he loved. At least Diana had the comfort that her mother and sisters were alive and her home was still standing. 

 

“We both came to this world with good intentions. I came to warn Earth of the invasion and you came to defend it. I stayed because...I had nowhere else to go and you all embraced me. I lost my old home, so I vowed to defend my new one. Diana, you--” 

 

Flash might have remarked this was one of the few times J’onn didn’t have a piece of wisdom to offer. He had an idea of what he wanted to say but both he and Diana knew it would just sound empty. Diana knew she had a home with the league. It wasn’t the same. It didn’t make the pain go away. She didn’t need J’onn to explain that to her, but she was slowly accepting what she did need at that moment. 

 

“J’onn..” She forced out, her voice breaking on a barely contained sob. “Thank you.” 

 

He nodded and opened his arms. He had learned this was how humans comforted each other, so he let Diana lean into him and he enveloped her in his arms. She didn’t break down into harsh sobs or shudder with grief. Tears silently rolled down her cheeks as her emotions and sense of dignity found a compromise. 

 

She may be Wonder Woman, but she was allowed to grieve. She could trust her friend to let her cry on his shoulder as she would let him. 

 

When she arrived at her room, she found wild orchids sitting on her bed with a note. Her heart swelled at the sight of the flowers that covered the landscape of her home. She picked up the note and could not keep the fond smile from her face. Only one member of their team could have gotten here fast enough. 

 

_ ‘Snagged a few for you before we left. I figured you would want something from home.’ _ \- Flash  _ P.S. Bats told which ones to grab.  _

 

No, she would not be able to return to Themyscira, but she had more than most. She had Clark, Flash, J’onn, Shayera, Jon, and even Batman. 

 

Exiled or not, Earth has always been her home and she would always defend it and she had the comfort of knowing she had friends watching her back while she did.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed it! I thrive on J'onn and Diana's friendship! Also, I hope you enjoyed my blatant inspiration taken from TSOA. I recommend the book if you are a fan of Greek Mythology. I'm planning on buying Circe soon which should be interesting considering her presence as a villain in Wonder Woman comics lol 
> 
> also, if you're a wonder woman writer, artist, or just a fan of the wonderfam (including Donna, Cassie, Artemis, Nubia, and co.) then check out my wonderfam discord server: https://discord.gg/wHfNjZY
> 
> A server so new I'm currently the only member :,)


End file.
